Customers of Orica’s eDev™ II and uni tronic™ 600 electronic blasting systems are set to experience more efficient and productive operations, thanks to an update to both platforms, the ASX-listed company says.

The updated eDev II (pictured) and uni tronic 600 Electronic Blasting Systems (EBS) have been integrated with the field-proven Blaster 3000 currently used with the i-kon III System, Orica says. The Blaster 3000 will serve as a common blast box platform to deliver an improved user experience and blasting capabilities for Orica customers using eDev II and uni tronic 600.

Blaster 3000 is the blast box hardware for Orica’s flagship i-kon III EBS and is widely hailed for its superior precision and reliability, Orica says.

Orica Head of Initiating Systems, Dr Rodney Williams, said: “We are continually making blasting safer, easier and faster so that our customers can achieve more with less. The integration of our best technologies across our EBS product families demonstrates our commitment to delivering smarter solutions and adding value to our customers’ operations through technology and innovation.”

Designed for underground development and civil tunnelling operations, key highlights of the upgrades to eDev II, include remote firing capability enabling up to 800 detonators to be fired remotely, and improved firing precision to +/- 0.005% for greater precision and better blast outcomes.

The uni tronic 600 system, designed mainly for small surface mines and quarry and construction blasting operations, will now allow larger blasts to be fired remotely with synchronised firing capability for up to 1,600 detonators and starter detonator functionality also enabled through the upgrade.

The migration to the Blaster 3000 platform provides users with a range of additional benefits, including being able to store and access up to 30 blast reports to better support regulatory reporting and post-blast analysis.